Former residence of Dao Ji [Photo/sjk.tzwhg.net]

The Legend of Buddha Ji evolved from the story of Dao Ji, an eminent Zen monk in the Southern Song Dynasty (420-479). During the Six Dynasties and the Sui and Tang Dynasties (222-907), many tales of arhats and mad monks were circulating in Tiantai. In the early Southern Song Dynasty, Dao Ji was born in Tiantai. He always pretended to be insane and was called the "Mad Ji", but he had been very generous to poor people. Either in his life or after his death, there were many legends about Dao Ji in Tiantai, all of which were greatly enjoyed by local people. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911), the legend of Buddha Ji has widespread across the country. It became such a well-known folk story that it eventually spread around the world. In May 2006, the Legend of Buddha Ji was included in China's first representative list of intangible cultural heritage.